Newsletter

Whatever it takes: Lobos prepare for regional quarterfinal

LEVELLAND — Sprawled across the chest of its workout gear and found on the back of the Levelland baseball team’s hats at practice Thursday are the letters WIT, or Whatever It Takes.

Those three words have served as the Lobos mantra this season, and has positioned them into a role where they can make Levelland history.

A season after starting district 1-5 and turning their season around to earn a playoff berth, the District 2-4A outright champions find themselves slated to take on Bushland in the Region I-4A quarterfinals — the furthest the team has advanced. The first game of the series is scheduled for 5 p.m. on Friday at Wayland Baptist University and Game 2 will be played at 10 a.m. Saturday at the same location with a third following the same day thirty minutes after, if needed.

“We had a meeting on a Sunday kind of about coming together. … We came up with WIT (Whatever It Takes).” the Lobos’ coach Brent Paris said. “It doesn’t matter what role you play. It’s just everyone understanding their role, no matter what it is, and coming together. We did. We won our last four (district games) straight (last season) and got into the playoffs and that motto has carried over into this year.”

With a series win over the Falcons, who eliminated Levelland (30-4) in the bi-district round last season, the Lobos will advance to the regional semifinals for the first time.

The Lobos set out to accomplish three things this season: Win a district championship, win a bi-district championship and “graduate on the baseball field.”

That goal is one game away, and the group of 11 seniors refuse to hang up their hats anytime soon.

“They are brothers to me,” Levelland senior Tyler Haywood said of his teammates. “We get to spend this last season with each other and we are taking it day-by-day. We are going to play baseball till they tell us we can’t. “

A large part of the the Lobos’ success can be attributed to its offense.

“We are having a season for the books. I think if I had to (choose) a strength, it would be our offense. We’ve scored 333 runs in 34 games this year,” Paris said. “There is not a guy that doesn’t think they can’t hit.”

In a back-and-forth contest on Saturday, Levelland unloaded seven hits en route to a 5-3 win over Andrews in Game 2 of its area round sweep of the Mustangs. The Lobos’ Nolberto Pena led the way and went 2 for 3 with two RBIs.

Levelland pitcher Jorge Mendiaz has been a presence on the mound, sitting at a 9-1 win record.

Bushland (26-6) has shared in its own success this season. In the area round, the Falcons swept Pecos to advance.

The Lobos hope the extra time spent on the diamond will come to fruition this week.

“Everyday we come out and work hard. I think that is the key to what we have been doing, we’ve all bought in,” Levelland’s Triston Mongomery said. “That’s how we have done what we’ve done.”

The Lobos’ Jacob Ochoa added: “All the hard work we have put in, in the off-season, is paying off.”